Best 4 Stovetop Mac And Cheese Recipes

THE BEST STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and paprika; cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly darker, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and comes to a simmer, 7 to 8 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar, American cheese and cream cheese until melted and remove from heat.
• Add the pasta to the sauce; toss, adding some reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt.

CREAMY STOVETOP BACON MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.
• Set an extra-large skillet, or a large heavy saucepan, over medium-low heat and cook the bacon until crispy and the fat renders out, 10 to 12 minutes. Set the bacon aside, reserving the fat to build your sauce. At this point you should have about 1/4 cup of reserved fat. If needed, add some olive oil or butter to make sure you have a 1/4 cup of fat in the pan.
• Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the paste bubbles a bit, about 2 minutes (make sure it doesn't brown). Continuing to whisk, add 3 cups of the hot milk and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir in the dry mustard, and then gradually add the Cheddar and Muenster cheeses, stirring constantly until all of the cheese has melted into the sauce. Stir in the hot sauce and the remaining 1 cup milk. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Stir in the crispy bacon and season with salt and pepper.

STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium; add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden, has a slightly nutty aroma, and is the texture of cooked oatmeal, about 5 minutes.
• Whisking constantly, pour in 2 cups milk; add 2 more cups milk and cayenne and whisk until smooth. Cook mixture, stirring constantly along bottom of pan, until boiling, 6 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and does not feel grainy when a small amount is rubbed between two fingers, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain thoroughly and return to pot. Remove sauce from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Quickly whisk in cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to coat.

CREAMY STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain well. Return to pan.
• Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Cook on low heat until Velveeta is melted, stirring frequently.
• Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese, at the table.
• Makes 4 servings, 1 cup each.
• Some good add-ins are: frozen veggies (Fordhook limas or mixed veggies--add frozen veggies to the boiling water and cook them before adding the macaroni), leftover cubed ham, sliced hotdogs, canned tuna, or boneless/skinless canned salmon for a quick and easy one-pot comfort meal.